2008 Woodie Awards
Former cheerleader sues SJSU
Luke Stangel
Issue date: 2/27/07 Section: News
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A former San Jose State University cheerleader is suing SJSU for $30 million, after she fell during practice three years ago and was paralyzed from the waist down.
Lawyers for the cheerleader and the school will try to settle the case today in private mediation. They plan to return to civil court on March 6th to give the judge an update on the case, which could go to trial if early settlement talks fail.
Rechelle Sneath was an 18-year-old freshman when she fell while practicing an aerial routine with her fellow Spirit Squad members on Jan. 7, 2004.
In the lawsuit, Sneath claims her coach, Jenise Mills-Fitzpatrick, pushed the cheerleading squad that day, forcing them to do push-ups when they made errors. She asked Sneath to perform two back tuck basket tosses - where a cheerleader is thrown in the air and caught by as many as four cheerleaders forming a "basket" with their arms - although Sneath had done the maneuver just six times before, according to the lawsuit.
Sneath claims she asked for two extra "spotters" the day of the accident, to catch her if she fell. Mills-Fitzpatrick allegedly didn't provide the spotters, and didn't directly supervise the maneuver. After the accident, Mills-Fitzpatrick didn't immediately call paramedics and instead pumped Sneath's legs back and forth, according to the lawsuit.
Today, Sneath is partially paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. Reached at home Monday, Sneath declined to comment about the case or the accident.
"She had a nerve injury that resulted in her being rendered paraplegic," said Sneath's lawyer, Cynthia Guinn. "With most injuries of this type, if they're going to improve to any significant degree, they do so within a couple of years (of the accident). It doesn't deter her from trying, but realistically, the statistics don't favor much more in the way of improvement for Rechelle."
In an earlier court filing, Sneath's lawyers estimated the school owes her $30 million for the accident - $15 million for past and future medical expenses, $10 million for past and future loss of income and $5 million for the loss of household services.
Lawyers for the cheerleader and the school will try to settle the case today in private mediation. They plan to return to civil court on March 6th to give the judge an update on the case, which could go to trial if early settlement talks fail.
Rechelle Sneath was an 18-year-old freshman when she fell while practicing an aerial routine with her fellow Spirit Squad members on Jan. 7, 2004.
In the lawsuit, Sneath claims her coach, Jenise Mills-Fitzpatrick, pushed the cheerleading squad that day, forcing them to do push-ups when they made errors. She asked Sneath to perform two back tuck basket tosses - where a cheerleader is thrown in the air and caught by as many as four cheerleaders forming a "basket" with their arms - although Sneath had done the maneuver just six times before, according to the lawsuit.
Sneath claims she asked for two extra "spotters" the day of the accident, to catch her if she fell. Mills-Fitzpatrick allegedly didn't provide the spotters, and didn't directly supervise the maneuver. After the accident, Mills-Fitzpatrick didn't immediately call paramedics and instead pumped Sneath's legs back and forth, according to the lawsuit.
Today, Sneath is partially paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. Reached at home Monday, Sneath declined to comment about the case or the accident.
"She had a nerve injury that resulted in her being rendered paraplegic," said Sneath's lawyer, Cynthia Guinn. "With most injuries of this type, if they're going to improve to any significant degree, they do so within a couple of years (of the accident). It doesn't deter her from trying, but realistically, the statistics don't favor much more in the way of improvement for Rechelle."
In an earlier court filing, Sneath's lawyers estimated the school owes her $30 million for the accident - $15 million for past and future medical expenses, $10 million for past and future loss of income and $5 million for the loss of household services.
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